


Making The Ride Count

by stevergrsno (noxlunate)



Series: Making The Ride Count [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Captain America: The First Avenger, Established Relationship, Idiots in Love, Multi, POV Multiple, Post-War, Weddings, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-11 03:22:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16467701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxlunate/pseuds/stevergrsno
Summary: When Bucky dies-When Bucky falls-When Steve fails-When Bucky-Well, after it all, when Steve is trying to decide if he can make himself forget with the contents of an entire bar, Peggy finds him.She smooths a hand through Steve’s hair, takes the bottle out of his hands, says “Oh darling,” and “Well, we’re going to have to go find our James now won’t we?” and Steve feels something like hope for the first time since he failed to catch Bucky.In which a rescue occurs, the war ends, proposals are made, and two weddings occur.





	Making The Ride Count

**Author's Note:**

> Listen ya'll this was originally supposed to be an epic story spanning between the war and, well, NOW, but that was going to require A Lot of research and tbh I opened it to work on it recently and as I read over it I realized I was pretty dang happy with a lot of what I had written already! So I edited it and paired it down to something that makes sense to me narratively and we ended up with this little diddy of goodness. 
> 
> I have the vaguest of plans to turn it into a series of one shots depicting these babes and their wonderful post-war life together, but WE SHALL SEE.

 

When Bucky dies-

When Bucky falls-

When Steve _fails_ -

When _Bucky_ -

Well, after it all, when Steve is trying to decide if he can make himself forget with the contents of an entire bar, Peggy finds him.

She smooths a hand through Steve’s hair, takes the bottle out of his hands, says “Oh darling,” and “Well, we’re going to have to go find our James now won’t we?” and Steve feels something like hope for the first time since he failed to catch Bucky.

 

They find him in some sort of lab- though calling it a lab is generous. Hell, calling it a _shack_ feels generous. But he’s there, whole( _ish_ ) and breathing, and _alive._

Steve feels like he can breathe again.

 

They took his arm. The doctor’s tell Steve it was likely he sustained injuries to it in the fall that necessitated an amputation, but Steve _doesn’t care._

They _took his arm._

Bucky’s doped up on enough pain killers that he says something about screaming so loud when they took it that he’s surprised Steve and Peg didn’t find him from that alone and Steve’s fists clench so tight that Peg takes his hands, smooths light fingers over his knuckles until they relax.

“They hurt him.” He croaks, when Bucky is finally asleep, pale and drawn in the hospital but still _alive,_ his surviving hand clutched tight to Steve’s.

“I know, pet, I know.” Peggy says, carding her fingers through Steve’s hair, scratching sharp nails against the fine hairs at the back of his neck.

“I’m going to kill them.” Steve says viciously, “Every last one of them. Everyone who touched him, everyone who _planned_ to touch him, every fucking piece of HYDRA- I’m going to burn it all down.”

“I know.” Peggy says again, pressing lips against Steve’s temple and leaving a bright red mark. “There won’t be a single bit of them left to regrow after we’re through darling.”

Steve lets himself be reassured by Peg’s promise, by her nails still scratching at the nape of Steve’s neck, and Bucky’s pulse strong and steady under Steve’s fingertips.

They’ll win the war, burn HYDRA to the ground and Bucky will be _safe._ He’ll go home and be _safe._

 

* * *

 

 

Bucky refuses to go home.

“You’re missing an _arm._ You fell from a _train._ You were fucking _tortured,_ Buck. You’re going home.”

“Yeah and leave you here to be an idiot without anyone to stop you? Carter encourages your madness, so do the guys. I’m apparently the only one in this damn war with any sense when it comes to you. Nah, I’m stayin.” Bucky knows this is a whole lot of bluster for still being stuck in a hospital bed, but there’s no way in hell he’s leaving Steve all by himself in this damn war. He and Carter would probably still bring Nazi Germany to heel and win the war with their own two (four between the two of them) hands, but it’d also probably involve a lot more of Steve throwing himself bodily into and out of burning buildings than Bucky would like.

The only person allowed to throw Steve Rogers out of buildings is Bucky himself, and since he’s currently down an arm that’s not exactly happening.

“I could make you go home.” Steve threatens, which, dumb fucking move Rogers.

“And you could also never get within ten feet of me or my dick again.”

There must be something on Bucky’s face that shows how damn serious he is right now about not leaving, or maybe Steve is really that terrified of never getting to touch Bucky’s dick again, because Bucky can see him visibly deflate, those giant shoulders of his drooping like all his strings have been cut.

Bucky almost feels bad. _Almost._

“Fine, fine. Stay. But if you get yourself killed James Buchanan, so help me God.”

“Yeah yeah, same goes for you. I’ve got a lot more reasons to yell at you anyway, Mister Hey Let’s Sign Up To Be A Damn Lab Rat, That Can’t Possibly Go Wrong.”

“It _didn’t.”_

“It _coulda.”_

“It _didn’t.”_

“It _coulda.”_

“It _didn’t.”_

“Jesus Mary and Joseph, I’ve thrown my lot in with _children.”_ Peggy’s voice cuts through, sharp and more than a little bit fond.

And just like that all bickering is gone and Bucky turns a wide eyed innocent look on Peggy, knowing without looking that Steve’s doing the exact same.

“Aw Pegs, you love us.” Bucky says.

“You do, it’s true.” Steve adds, bumping his elbow into Bucky’s.

“And you _really_ love what we do to you.”

“Sergeant Barnes,” Peggy says, all narrowed eyes and fake offense, “Is that any way to speak to a lady?”

And this is usually the part where Bucky will toss Peggy onto the bed, show her exactly how he speaks to the woman who’s somehow agreed to be both his and Steve’s best girl, run his mouth until Peggy gets frustrated with ‘how bloody long you can drag it out Barnes, Jesus fucking christ, we’re on a damn schedule here’ and takes charge, working him and Steve over with an ease that’s as terrifying as it is hot as the depths of fucking hell.

Unfortunately, Bucky’s stuck in a hospital bed in an overcrowded building in London, missing a lot more blood than he likes to think about and a few pounds he can’t not think about so he doubts he’s going to be tossing anyone or anything around any time soon. Fortunately, Steve’s there and he knows how this normally plays out. He wraps his arms around Peg’s waist and tosses her onto the bed beside Bucky, ignoring her sharp “Put me _down_ , Rogers!”  

Bucky grins and tips his face up, says “C’mon darlin, gimme a kiss and teach me how to talk to a lady all proper like.” and Peggy obliges, doesn’t even seem to contemplate disappointing.

 

* * *

 

 

“So. We’re gonna have to jump.”

“What the fuck do you mean, we’re gonna have to _jump._ Rogers, I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’m not much of a fan of falling long distances into _ice.”_

“We’re headed straight for _home_ Buck. And the landing gear’s fucked all to hell.”

Bucky can read between the lines, can practically see Steve’s fool head coming up with the plan. And the problem is, it’s the best one they have.

“Fuck. Jesus shitfucking christ. _Fuck.”_

“You kiss your mama with that mouth, Barnes?”

“Nah, I kiss you. _Fuck._ Get Peg, she’ll get us out of this goddamn shitheap you’ve gotten us into Rogers.”

“Right, right, saving New York City and probably the whole world is a shitheap.”

“Damn right it is when we’re gonna freeze to death in the arctic, you goddamn-”

“ _Boys.”_ Peggy’s voice comes in clear, interrupting their squabbling. Not that Bucky _really_ considers it squabbling, it’s mostly just a distraction from the fact that they might very well be about to die.

“We’re taking the plane down, Peg.”

“ _Steven Grant-”_

“We’re gonna jump!” He rushes to cut her off, and Bucky’s almost a little disappointed, because if he’s gotta die it might as well be while listening to Peg chew Steve out until the tips of Steve's ears have gone a delightful shade of red.

There’s silence over the line and Bucky props his chin on Steve’s shoulder so that he can talk. “What he said. We’re in the fucking tundra though, so we’re gonna need a pick up from someone- Stark, probably? He’s probably got something nice and fancy he can come get us in. Think you can make that happen doll?”

Peggy starts snapping orders at people and then, “Yes, of course. Give me the coordinates Barnes and we’ll have someone there as soon as humanly possible.”

Bucky rattles them off, and then Steve’s saying. “I love you, Peg. I’ll see you real damn soon.”

“You’re taking me dancing when you get back, Rogers. You and Barnes both.”

“It’s a deal, sweetheart.” Bucky says, and then “If we die, blame Steve.”

And then Steve’s doing something to the control panel, taking Bucky’s hand so tight it hurts and they’re hurtling out the back of the plane and into the cold and the dark.

 

“Never again Rogers, _never again.”_ Bucky is swearing the moment they’re defrosted.

It had turned out their coordinates were just a little off and it’d taken nine fucking days of searching for Bucky and Steve to be found. Fortunately -though Bucky didn’t particularly care for _fortunately_ at the moment- neither of them had been awake for most of it. Steve’s super soldier body had put itself into stasis before he could freeze to death. At least that was the presiding theory by Howard. As for Bucky, well, no one quite knew how the hell Bucky made it and Bucky wasn’t about to volunteer any information on what kind of shit he’d been shot up with both times HYDRA had gotten ahold of him. Not that he _really_ knew. He just had. Suspicions. Yeah, that was all. Suspicions.

“And here I was planning to go back for our anniversary.”

“Rogers, I will bite your dick off the next time it gets near my face if you even _joke_ about that shit again.” Bucky says, feeling absolutely and entirely serious. He’s done with falling, he’s done with _cold._ He is very much _done._

 

* * *

 

“We should propose.” Steve says, when the war’s over and they’re _home._

Bucky stares at Steve blankly, before shaking his head. “You mean _you_ should propose?”

“Nah, I mean _we_ should propose. C’mon, doesn’t it sound great?” Steve asks, voice low and rough as he drags his lips down Bucky’s jaw, down his throat, bites there and worries at the skin until Bucky’s sure he’ll have a mark. At least for a few hours- they fade surprisingly quick these days. Bucky does his best not to think about it, even as Peggy looks at him with sharp, assessing eyes. “I’d be Peggy’s husband. And I'd be _yours._ Sounds like I’d be the luckiest man in this whole damn world, Buck.”

“Jesus christ, Rogers.” Bucky arches into Steve’s mouth, slides a hand into his hair and twists until Steve groans and draws tight like a bowstring. Jesus, his fella is easy. “You can’t just go sayin’ stuff like that. Besides, it’s not like you can actually marry the both of us. You might be Captain America and the whole country might be willing to go along with whatever you want, but I think they might draw the line at two fellas and a dame joining in holy matrimony.”

“So? We don’t need a _legal_ wedding.” Steve paws at Bucky’s shirt, working at the buttons until he can push the fabric off his chest, drag his lips down and bite at a nipple. Bucky swears and tries to push into it and pull away all at once. “We’ll just find someone to do a ceremony.”

“Yeah, and there ain’t a priest in all the world that’s gonna go for this.” Bucky says and drags Steve upwards by his hair so that he can ahold of his lips and kiss him nice and dirty. He can’t help it. Steve wanting to hitch himself to both Peggy _and_ _him_ gets him going without Steve really having to try.

“Dum Dum can do it.” Steve says when they part for air and Bucky’s abandoned his attentions to Steve’s hair in favor of getting a hand down his pants.

“Dugan? Dugan’s not a fucking priest.” Bucky says and grins something wicked when he finds his goal and Steve gasps and pushes into Bucky’s hand. “Slow, sweetheart, slow.” He murmurs, sliding a hand up and down Steve’s dick nice and slow- slow enough to almost be a tease.

“Fu-uck. Fuck. He doesn’t need to- He can bullshit his way through a ceremony and you know it.”

Bucky feels a little smug when Steve struggles to get the words out, though it’s hard to feel too terribly smug when Steve Rogers is doing a filthy roll of his hips to fuck into one’s hand. He’s not sure anyone could feel anything other than _want_ in this sort of situation.

“Yeah, okay.” Bucky murmurs and kisses at Steve’s throat.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, Stevie, let’s get married.” Bucky says and Steve comes all over Bucky’s hand.

 

* * *

 

 

Dugan officiates their sham of a wedding.

Bucky’d feel a little like he was pulling one over on God, tying himself to two of the best people he’s ever met and using His name to do it, but _Christ,_ Steve hasn’t stopped smiling for days and when Peggy walks down the aisle towards the two of them she’s tied with Steve as the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his life. Steve’s got the same look on his face that Bucky knows he’s wearing and Bucky can’t decide just who he wants to stare at the most.

So this can’t be wrong. Because Bucky can imagine a God that doesn’t care too much for his own happiness, but he’s never been able to imagine any higher power ever disapproving of something that makes Steve smile like he’s the fucking sun.

“You crazy kids ready?” Dum Dum asks, his grin a mile wide as he takes in the three of them, standing in a close triangle, fingers entwined. “I’m gonna take that as a yes and get this shindig started.”

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,” Dum Dum starts, surveying the little gathering they have around them. It’s small, the Howlies and a few of Steve and Bucky’s friends from the old neighborhood, one of Peg’s friends who is already mopping up tears with a handkerchief.

It’s perfect.

“To unite these three in holy matrimony, under the eyes of God and all you lucky bastards here today.” The three of them share a look, each silently communicating that they’re impressed with the fact that it took Dum Dum just as long as it did to start swearing. “Never has a man like Steve Rogers existed, someone who needs not one but two people to keep his crazy ass under control, and we thank the Good Lord Himself that he found these two willing S.O.B.s.”

“Get on with the service, Dugan.” Peggy says, and Bucky’s close enough he can see the twitching at the corner of her lips, the urge to laugh in this ridiculous situation visible.

Jesus christ, they’re getting _married._

“Fine, fine, you impatient bastards. Except you Carter, you’re the finest dame I’ve ever met, so you’ve got no reason to shoot me.”

“ _Dum Dum.”_ Steve and Bucky say at the same time.

“Alright, alright, Jesus, ladies first then. That means you Barnes.”

Peggy laughs, because Peggy’s an _asshole_ and Bucky _loves her._

“Fuck off, Dugan.” Bucky says and squeezes at Peg’s hand, smiling too much at her and Steve to be any sort of threatening to the man who’s officiating their crazy sham of a wedding. “I, James Buchanan, take thee, you two assholes, to be my wedded husband and wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part, I pledge myself to you goddamn lunatics.”

“Beautiful.” Dum Dum says with a shake of his head and a sniff, already getting a little bit weepy. “Go on, Peg.”

“I, Margaret Elizabeth, take you two beautiful, ridiculous men to be my wedded husbands, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part, I pledge myself to you.”

Dugan doesn’t even manage to get a word in edgewise before Steve’s barreling ahead, his hand clutching tight to Bucky’s. Bucky’s absolutely certain that he’s holding onto Peggy just as tight.

“I, Steven Grant, take thee, the both of you, _jesus how’d I get so lucky,_ to be my wedded husband _and_ wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part, I pledge myself to you.”

Steve is crying, just like Bucky knew he would, and Peggy is smiling and beautiful, and Dugan looks like he’s going to need a handkerchief or a whole goddamn mop and Bucky is deliriously, ridiculously, _fantastically_ happy.

“Right, you may now all kiss. However the hell you three manage to do that all at once.”

And then they are, hands wandering and lips slick against lips, and somewhere in the background Peggy’s friend is whistling and Dugan’s griping at them to get a room.

 

* * *

 

 

Less than six months later Peggy and Steve get married officially. In attendance are what Bucky swears are enough people to fill up Manhattan, as well as every politician Bucky’s ever heard of and quite a few he hasn't. Men with cameras mill around, attempting to catch every moment and journalists lurk just outside.

Steve looks sharp in his uniform, medals gleaming and Bucky doesn’t think a single person in their right mind will be able to look away from Peggy in her dress.

Bucky does his best not to feel like some sort of schmuck in his dress blues, standing just behind Steve as his best man with his sleeve folded and pinned where his arm should be.

When Peggy reaches the end of the aisle she winks at Bucky over Steve’s shoulder and Bucky feels something in him relax.

The rest of it passes in a blur and before Bucky knows it, he and Steve are being shoved into a bathroom by the force of nature that is, as of today, Peggy Rogers _nee_ Carter.

“Gentleman, I think I can safely say that I preferred _our_ wedding to this circus.”

“That’s what you get for marrying Captain America, Peg. That’s why I won’t marry the schmuck in public.” Bucky says, using the bathroom counter as a perfectly serviceable seat. 

“Oh please, Barnes, if you thought you could get away with it you’d throw on a wig and some lipstick and marry Steve in front of the whole bloody world.”

Peggy has a point. Peggy has a very big point. Bucky is absolutely not going to admit that she has a point.

Steve however, can’t seem to keep his trap shut. “We almost did, right after Bucky enlisted. Well, it woulda been me in the wig and lipstick considering I was a bit smaller than Buck back then.”

“ _A bit?”_

“More than a bit.” Steve agrees with Bucky amicably. His smile hasn’t faded since he saw Peggy come down the aisle, even when dozens of strangers had tried to swarm him immediately after the ceremony. “Kinda funny, now you’re the delicate one.” Steve says with a wicked grin and presses in close in between Bucky’s thighs. Bucky spreads them, lets Steve get as close as he wants even as he rolls his eyes at the notion that he could ever be _delicate._

“Hmm, I can see it.” Peggy says, plastering herself to Steve’s back and pressing her chin into his shoulder to watch Bucky squirm beneath him, and Bucky knows that’s _exactly_ what she’s doing. Never let it be said that Peggy didn’t like to watch someone squirm. He’s damn sure the hellion gets off on it.

“You two are the worst.” Bucky says, his body arching when Steve gets his hands under Bucky’s shirt and drags his nails in long lines down his front. “ _Jesus-_ You’re both terrible, we’re getting a divorce.”

“Pesky thing about not having a legal marriage darling, it means you can’t actually divorce us.” Peggy says and ducks under Steve’s arm, slides into the spot next to Bucky so that she can torture him with her lips on his jaw- his throat, his shoulders as she divests him of his jacket and shirt.

“Exactly,” Steve agrees, because of course he agrees with Peg, “You’re stuck with us.”

“What a tragedy,” Bucky says, manages to get his wits about him enough to grab Steve by the back of his neck, to drag him in and kiss him hard. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive it.”

**Author's Note:**

> come yell about things with me on [tumblr](http://stevergrsno.tumblr.com/tagged/my-writing)


End file.
